The invention generally resides in the field of quick release roller sleeves. Roller sleeves, which are mountable and demountable from rollers and other hub-like cylindrical structures, are used in several forms of printing, metal flattening, and other manufacturing processes.
The manner in which roller sleeves are currently being mounted and demounted on the roll cores has caused problems in terms of increasing time of production due to the time required in changing the sleeve and core together which can take up to an hour or more during which time the machine onto which the roller sleeve is being mounted is shut down. Moreover, once a sleeve and core have been changed there may be issues with alignment which can lead to several wasted batches of product while the user makes alignment corrections which adds more downtime to production. Accordingly there exists a need for a quick release roller sleeve mounting hub, which cuts down significantly on the time spent on changing a roller sleeve during production and also does not require the need to remove or change the roller core eliminating the need for realigning the replacement core.
The present invention overcomes these deficiencies by utilizing a quick release roller sleeve mounting hub having a fiberglass covering. The mounting hub remains in place on the machine and, instead of the entire apparatus being removed and replaced, an outer rim flange portion can slide into and out of position for ease of dismounting a worn roller sleeve and mounting a new roller sleeve around the hub that remains in its machine mounted position at all times. The present invention allows for the existing core or hub to be continued in service while only changing the outer roller sleeve portion, resulting in the overall sleeve and core to maintain its alignment and original configuration.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a quick release roller sleeve which can be mounted and dismounted in a much shorter period of time. Another object of the present invention is to provide a quick release roller sleeve which can be mounted and dismounted without removing the roller core.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a quick release roller sleeve made from fiberglass or other composite type long-lived material. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a quick release roller sleeve with variable face lengths and diameters. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a quick release roller sleeve which is fastened to the core by a limited number of securing means to aid in the ease of mounting and dismounting of the roller sleeve.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a quick release roller sleeve mounting hub that allows the outer sleeve portions to slide into and out of position for ease of mounting and dismounting once the roller sleeve is worn and needs to be replaced. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a quick release roller sleeve mounting hub that allows for use of the existing core or hub while only changing the outer roller sleeve portion, allowing the core to maintain its original configuration and alignment on the machinery.
Other objects will appear hereinafter.